City's e-plan bags global award at C40 meet in Copenhagen

Kolkata: Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has bagged an award at Copenhagen for providing pollution-free transport system and for perpetual infrastructure development.

Firhad Hakim, the state minister for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, received the award at an event in Copenhagen on Wednesday. Hakim visited Copenhagen to attend the international mayor's conference. KMDA had bagged an award on solid waste management three years ago in Seoul. KMDA bagged the award for introducing electric buses and electric ovens replacing the age-old earthen ones.

Mayors of 93 cities attended the conference at Copenhagen that started on Wednesday. Hakim and his wife took part in the inaugural session. He presented a paper on the steps taken by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the state government to check air pollution.

He said plantation of more than a lakh saplings in Kolkata, along with creation of vertical gardens, have been taken up as a part of the anti-pollution measure. Water fountains will be installed on important thoroughfares and the roadside trees are being watered daily.

The low carbon commute transition of Kolkata with planned introduction of 5,000 e-buses and electrification of all ferries that run across the Ganges river by 2030 won the world's seven best climate projects here on Thursday.

The announcement of the 2019 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards was made at the C40 World Mayors Summit in Copenhagen. This year, the awards showcased projects that demonstrated ambitious climate action while ensuring better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. Chosen for the concrete impact they are making in their communities, each of the seven winning cities are formidable examples of what leadership looks like in building an innovative, resilient, and inclusive future.

Worldwide, cities account for about 70 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions, making them uniquely positioned to have a significant impact in the fight against climate change.

Electric buses were first introduced in New Town which falls under the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA). Now, the state Transport department has introduced e-buses.

In New Town, vertical gardens have come up. Roadside trees have been watered using recycled water. This apart, the KMC is making rainwater harvesting mandatory in big housing complexes.